A dreamy midsummer's day caught the participants of the San Xue Xiao tournament in the middle of a "Day of Respite."
The Jade Palace students, die-hards as they were wont to be, had gotten up early to train in the crisp morning air; now at midday, Po, Monkey, and Tai Lung were relaxing in the sun-bathed kitchen, bantering idly amongst themselves. Tigress and Viper had gone into the village to watch a troupe of performers at a summer festival, and Mantis and Crane, intoxicated by the redolent mead of summer weather, had taken a sudden interest art; they now worked furiously at easels placed in scenic spots around the Palace.
The Lee Da Academy had decided to sleep in; the Rough Rhinos had made plans to visit the pub in the evening. Mei Ling meandered through the palace gardens, enjoying the summer colours of the local flowers. Z had gone to visit Seiko in the city, and the two felines were at present walking along a quiet canal street, discussing the finer points of… interspecies dating.
The members of the Tian Na Organization, on the other hand, were not enjoying the day. Instead, they were huddled together in Master Zuihan's guest dormitory. Although the windows were open, no one seemed affected by the tantalizing scent of summer wafting in. Warm rays of golden sunlight pooled around the feet of the Axiom, but alas, went unnoticed. The four cheetah warriors had been summoned to their master's room just minutes ago, and they waited respectfully for the old and timeworn eagle to speak.
After a time, he did.
"Do you four remember what I said to you on the day I formed the Axiom?" Zuihan said, his strident voice weary.
"You made us swear an oath of fealty to you, sir," Soo responded, remembering quite clearly.
"You made us promise that we would obey all of your commands without question, sir," Liu continued respectfully.
"So you do remember," Zuihan stated flatly, looking away slightly.
Zuihan took several paces around the small room, murmuring to himself about dust and spiders. Finally, he turned back to his students.
"Do any of you remember Mr. Übel?" Zuihan asked, this time not looking directly at the four cheetahs.
There was a short silence of contemplation, which was broken by Hu.
"He was the one that enlisted me to Tian Na when I was a small child, sir," the cheetah reminisced, thinking hard about his earliest memories. "He said I had potential that couldn't be wasted, and I had to join. That was that."
"I think I remember him too, sir" Yu said. "I believe he was a wolf. My parents were killed when raiders burned my village to the ground…" Yu swallowed hard. "He gave me a new life at Tian Na."
"I expected some of you might recall…" Zuihan said distractedly.
"With all due respect, sir," Hu began, a bit confused, "What does any of this have to do with… anything?"
Zuihan bit his lip, thinking about a response. After a moment of deliberation, he turned to face the Axiom.
"Mr. Übel is the founder of the Tian Na Organization," Zuihan stated. "He was the one who placed me in the position of master of combat, and he is the one responsible for discovering all of your talents. Without him, the Axiom would not exist. Needless to say, the Organization… and I, owe him a lot."
Zuihan paused and took a deep breath.
"He also holds a great deal of political power in the Southern Province. Since he has control over Tian Na, one of the finest military organizations in China, the politicians tend to listen quite readily to his 'advice.' He makes a lot of major decisions, including… deciding which territories the Southern Province will annex."
All of the members of the Axiom shifted uncomfortably as they began to recognize the sinister nature of the conversation.
"You might not know this," Zuihan continued, "but it was Mr. Übel himself who recommended that the Axiom compete in the San Xue Xiao; he has been personally overseeing our progress in the tournament…"
"Sir, if I may," Soo interjected. "What exactly does this all mean?"
The tension in the room felt crushing; the Axiom looked around at each other, no one quite sure what was going on.
"I didn't want to have to tell you like this," Zuihan said, very quietly, "but Mr. Übel feels that the time is right."
All four cheetahs stiffened.
"You see," Zuihan began hesitantly, "We're not just here for the San Xue Xiao. All of us are on a secret mission to infiltrate the Jade Palace. To that extent, we have thus far succeeded. But Mr. Übel wants to execute the next part of the plan."
"I-infiltrate the Jade Palace?" Liu asked incredulously. "Sir, what on Earth is going on here?"
"Liu!" Zuihan snapped violently, "Let me speak!"
"A thousand pardons, sir," Liu replied softly, bowing his head.
"I'm sorry, Liu," Zuihan said, simmering down. "This is… a rather stressful time."
Zuihan took a slug from a hip flask before continuing.
"Hu, Soo, Liu, Yu. I want all of you to listen to me very carefully. No matter what you think of what I am about to say, remember the oath you swore to me on the day we met. I am your master, and you shall obey me. But more importantly, I am your friend. Anything I tell you to do will be for the good of the Organization. For the good of us."
The four cheetahs nodded in assent.
"Mr. Übel has ordered us…" Zuihan's voice trembled and choked. He swallowed heavily and began again. "He has ordered us to take control of the Jade Palace and to secure the Valley of Peace as a Southern Province territory."
All four of the Axiom turned a whiter shade of pale.
"H-how are we to t-take control of the J-Jade Palace?" Soo asked in a terrified voice, already anticipating the answer. "T-the Furious Five, Lee Da, they're all here…"
Zuihan wrung his hands together and took several deep breaths. He took another sip from his hip flask, and then threw it to the floor, where it shattered in an explosion of glass and alcohol. When he answered Soo's question, his voice was barely a whisper.
"We must kill them all."
Mixed expressions of horror, conflict and confusion registered on the faces of the four cheetahs. Soo, suddenly feeling very weak, held onto Yu for support. Liu hadn't fared much better, and was collapsed in a heap on the floor. Hu, however, seemed most visited by Zuihan's announcement, and had broken into uncontrollable trembles.
When he spoke, his voice was strange and possessed.
"I-I don't want to do it! I can't do it! Not now!"
Zuihan knelt before Hu.
"I-I'm so sorry, Hu," Zuihan said, taking the cheetah's paw. "I've seen the way you look at her, that Lee Da mountain cat." Tears began to from in Zuihan's eyes as well. "I know this is h-hard to accept, b-but things must be like this! If we don't succeed, we'll all surely be killed by M-Mr. Übel!"
Zuihan broke into sobs, uttering again and again, "I didn't want things like this!"
The members of the Tian Na Organization remained in the cramped room for quite some time, seeking solace among those who were unable to comfort. As the minutes and then hours passed, shock and confusion grew into abject misery and twisted anger.
The song of a nightingale sailed across the Valley of Peace.
To the common listener, it was a sure sign of summer, a pleasant reminder of the warm weather, of late mornings and later nights. But to the ears of the Tian Na Organization, it was an agonized battle cry; an envoy of the end.